Eli Lilly is suing four telehealth companies that prescribe compounded versions of the pharmaceutical company's weight loss medications.
Lilly filed four lawsuits on Wednesday claiming telehealth companies were misleading consumers and illegally prescribing compounded versions of its glucagon-like peptide-1 agonist drugs Mounjaro and Zepbound.
Related: Inside Eli Lilly’s digital health strategy for GLP-1s
The company sued Mochi Health, Adonis Health, which does business as Henry Meds, and Aios, which does business through two brands Fella Health and Delilah, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. It sued Willow Health in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
The Food and Drug Administration authorizes companies to offer compounded versions of glucagon-like peptide-1 agonist medications and other drugs only in certain situations such as when there is a shortage of branded medications. With FDA declaring most of the shortages of the drugs over, many telehealth companies prescribing compounded GLP-1s, cheaper copycat versions of the drugs, have taken steps to adjust their offerings.
Through the lawsuits, Eli Lilly is trying to stop companies from selling compounded tirzepatide, a spokesperson said via email. For example, Lilly alleges the companies named are breaking the law and deceiving patients by using its branded medication to help market compounded drugs.
At least one company getting sued by Eli Lilly isn't backing down.
“We were expecting lawsuits and we were expecting that [Lilly] would throw everything at the wall to try and make a narrative,” Mochi Health CEO Dr. Myra Ahmad said in an interview. "Our mission is still the same."
Willow Health, Fella Health, Delilah and Henry Meds did immediately respond to requests for comment.
Lilly had a separate run-in with another telehealth company, Hims & Hers, earlier this month. Hims & Hers posted a blog on April 1 that said it was expanding access to brand name weight loss drugs such as Zepbound. Hours later, Eli Lilly said in a statement it had no affiliation with the telehealth company.
The pharmaceutical company has made its own efforts in the telehealth marketplace. In January 2024, it launched LillyDirect, a platform that connects patients to third-party telehealth companies who can prescribe its GLP-1 weight loss and diabetes medications. Lilly said it had no plans to slow down partnerships with digital health companies as interest in segment picks up.
